EVER FEEL DISORGANIZED?!

With our busy lives and on-the-go ways, it's easy to become disorganized! I consider myself to be what you might call a "neat-freak" and that's why it wasn't easy when I came to the realization that it might be happening in my own life :0 But things in our lives change as they did with myself and I've definitely found that I just don't have the time I used to- especially when it comes to things like organization!

I used to pride myself in how organized I really was, which is why I decided that since I had a lot less time these days- I was going to need to take a different approach :) I came up with an easy solution that's perfect for on-the-go to work, school, etc. and even home! It took a while to find the organizer that was looking for , but I was eventually able to find one that would fit my entire "skincare & makeup beauty closet". I decided to create my own "closet" of beauty items that I could get into at any time AND anywhere for my all of my beauty needs in ONE place!?

It does seem difficult and perhaps you've heard of this concept before with makeup kits of a similar natures, but I wanted to make a twist on this idea. I did eventually manage to get together a few choice items that were specifically designed for on-the-go needs, but that I also still found usable at home :) As for the container itself, I chose to go with soft material in a taller & larger size.

A fun print is always a plus just as a personalized touch. One of my current skincare & makeup beauty closet's is in super cute organizer from London SOHO New York [priced @ only $11.99!]. It's a lot of fun and meets the practicality needs of my organizer as well. Check out more about this great item in my review below! Since I chose the organizer because I wanted to make my own dividers with a customized look and feel, there was one slight change that I made. You can do this as well- it's very easy to do and you probably can complete this in under 10 minutes. T

ake a neat design file folder or regular folder with unique patterns and then take a tape measure. Make measurements inside the organizer and then cut in inch to 1.5 inches [width] strips that match up to both the inside width and length. Take 2 strips and utilize these as the braces or "frame" by making a cross with them. You can keep these 2 strips together by making a small 1/4 in. notch on 1 side of each strip and then sticking them right together at the notches- add a small notch of clear craft glue or hot-glue to the notch and it will be even sturdier.

If you want more than 4 compartments, then create more strip(s) in the same way and put them where you would like. It really just depends on how many compartments you want! Once I had the organizer ready to go and my products picked, I started getting my choices over the course of a couple of months.

Make sure to see a few of the products that ended up going into my skincare & makeup beauty closet. Look for it below my review! I didn't include every product, but I did share my top 4 picks. Surprisingly, the top 4 items that I'm sharing with you today, didn't take up even half of my space inside the organizer! :0

THE BEAUTY CLOSET RECOMMENDS:

London SOHO New York Disney Train Case: Ursula

LONDON SOHO New York

Disney Villains

Ursula

$11.99

This is a super cute and affordable option and a fairly spacious organizer as well! I always love Disney's Little Mermaid as a little girl and this brought make great memories. It's the perfect mix of fun and functionality that make it a big win in my book! The entire bottom of the train case is well-lined in faux leather material, with a nice rounded edging around it as well. This prevents it from getting wet and dirty, also making it a cinch to clean off if needed.

The top of the organizer is also made out of the same material, with a handle attached up-top too. As for the inside of the case, it's cutely lined with an alternating shell pattern in dark purple and green :) I was most-surprised though by the well-made zipper, which is something that I would expect to find on a very expensive case or organizer instead!

It won't get stuck or get loose as they sometimes do, and goes around each entire corner- this keeps your items securely inside the organizer and not falling out all over the place :/ The adorable Disney character Ursula adorns the front with a grin, her tentacles, and some gold detailing to add a bit of sparkle. The cardboard that comes inside the organizer is fairly stiff and can be left in the organizer if you want or you can pull that out and either toss it or utilize it for the small craft project that I suggested above :)

SOHO Disney Elsa Train Case $11.99 @ Walgreens.com

Overall, this is the perfect organizer for any age and would be fun for all ;) It's very affordable and decently made, with quality you might expect from an expensive designer instead. Plus, you will be able to get an adorable item that will actually help you achieve more organization! You can score this item at walgreens.com for right around $12 and that price, you might even be able to snag a couple of other designs and characters they have to offer! ---->

MY BEAUTY PICKS FOR THE

MAKEUP & SKINCARE BEAUTY CLOSET:

1. Tarte Stroke of Midnight Brush Set $44 at sephora.com

This is a beautiful set that also fits into one compact and gorgeous case! What's great about this set, is that you are able to bring it out with you and stow away a couple of extra small items inside :) It makes the perfect disguise as the perfect quality brush set for makeup gals on-the-go! An added bonus? It took up hardly any room in my kit, yet I had a FULL SET of brushes for only $44...yeah!

At only $7 a piece or $28 for the entire set, these palettes are definitely a good buy! Sephora actually makes fairly decent makeup when it comes to their own brand and I admit they've been surprising me more and more lately. Each one of these "notebooks" contains 4 well-chosen eye shadows, plus a coordinating blush that ties with the color scheme of the "notebook" color and shadows. A great extra comes on each little booklet that gives you tips and a look you can achieve utilizing the palette!

3. Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb Travel Duo $35 at sephora.com.

This has it all: a fantastic scent with the ability to use the scent how you want with the included funnel that makes it a cinch! At only $35, you can feel like a million and enjoy the lifting floral and oriental style scent without getting annoyed :)

The set comes in at a $127 value and normally I don't always buy into those claims, but I would have to say that this 4-piece set does have a little bit of everything and deluxe-sample sizes with a bonus quality dual-ended applicator brush! All of the products are made with excellent quality and I could really see the difference in my overall skin health, including smoothness and luminosity :)

IT'S NOT ALWAYS THAT EASY TO FEEL GLAMOROUS...!

Do you ever have those days where you don't exactly feel all that glamorous?! I admit that with all of the business of school starting back up, family, 2 jobs, and the blog- it's been quite a challenge to both look and feel glamorous lately ;) There's also the fact that I don't exactly have my own personal makeup artist, loads of money and/or fame [lol!], which makes it a bit harder to lay on the glitz that often.

I am of the opinion however, that a woman should try and give herself a special treat every now and then. Whether it be a nice relaxing bubble bath or getting "dolled up" and going out with some girlfriends for the evening, it's good to feel a little glam sometimes! It's not always been super easy I've found, to create the perfect glamorous look- a makeup artist is definitely one way to go but usually not affordable for most of us ;)

Recently though, I had the luck of stumbling upon a fantastic beauty guide that has it all AND allows even the perhaps challenged girl, to achieve a glamorous look for themselves! What better way to get the look you see on the women in Hollywood than to get your very own DIY guide- from a top celeb makeup artist, Gary Cockerill :) Check out my review of this wonderful beauty bible below:

THE BEAUTY CLOSET'S TOP BEAUTY BOOK OF THE YEAR:

Simply Glamorous

by Gary Cockerill

This is hands down the BEST beauty book I've found in quite a while- which is why it made my TOP PICK of the YEAR! :) I am impressed from start to finish on how well-designed and thought out this awesome beauty guide is!

It's hardcover makes for a great decor item and for added protection and is broke up into 3 main sections: Face, Eyes, and Lips. In the intro, Gary Cockerill shares his experience of trying to find who he wanted to be; he knew that he wanted to be an artist although he wasn't exactly sure in what capacity.

After landing a job that was a stroke of genius for Gary, painting mannequins- he began to see how to paint a three-dimensional face and things really began to click for him! Gary states that this eventually led to unpaid "testing" work for photographers and agents until he was able to start getting his own bookings.

He admits that it still wasn't easy for him in the beginning as his make-up style was the polar opposite from those around him, but he remained dedicated and didn't give up. I really LOVE that attitude of dedication and motivation- it shows that Gary Cockerill is super serious about his work and loves what he does.

You can really see that too throughout this book- every single one of his looks are absolutely beautiful. He's got 10 great tips-"Gary's Guide to Gorgeous" and there were a couple of things that I hadn't thought of before- that's fairly rare for me as I've shared many of my own and read too many to count. His 9 "Tips for healthy skin" were no-brainers for me, but they are all good choices that are easy changes to make.

There are a few more sections following these tips, right before the glam looks begin and they cover everything from how to contour, correct and conceal, to detailed pages on skin tones and which foundation shade/type to choose. The main portion of the book is broken up really well with each look getting its own unique "transformation" name- like the "Sun-kissed Goddess Transformation" or the "Color Rush Transformation".

As an added bonus, Gary strategically placed Tutorial pages that have detailed info on how to do sometimes difficult tasks like False lashes application or How to choose eye color. At the end of the book, there are a list of his fav products for skincare and make-up, in addition to his top tools and brushes :)